


Fashionista

by panpipe



Category: Kanjani8 (Band), NewS (Band)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-07
Updated: 2008-12-08
Packaged: 2017-10-13 03:46:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/132486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panpipe/pseuds/panpipe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryo gets put in charge of taking Tegoshi shopping for clothes during his awkward phase. Kanjani8, curious as to why Ryo isn't hanging out with them when they came ~*all the way to Tokyo for his sake!!!*~, stalks them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://panpipe.livejournal.com/97753.html#cutid1).

"Seriously, his clothes are _so_ bad," Ryo mutters.

"Now, now, Ryo-chan," Koyama sighs, slowly turning to face him, wagging his finger in blatant disapproval, "that's not a very nice thing to say. It's not Tegoshi's fault he has no fashion sense."

"Yeah," Kusano says. "He's only been in the company for what, five months now?"

"The gay-ification hasn't happened yet," Uchi mutters, with a twinkle in his eyes, the comment so low that only Ryo can hear it. Ryo grimaces and slaps his shoulder with a resounding SMACK. "Ow," he squeaks, rubbing his shoulder.

"That's irrelevant," Ryo says. "His inability to wear anything other than sweatpants is seriously going to harm our popularity. If I'm going to be a part of this idiotic group, we'd better at least be popular."

Pi cocks his head to the side, and smirks. "You know, if it worries you that much, why don't you teach him how to dress properly?"

"What--" Ryo starts in outrage, but is quickly interrupted by Koyama.

"That's a great idea, Yamashita!" He grins brightly at Ryo. "I think that Tegoshi could really benefit from a senpai taking him under his wing and truly showing him the ropes. After all, I'm sure he's very nervous and frightened right now."

Ryo looks at the table where Tegoshi and Massu are eating lunch.

He is dressed in mismatching sweatpants, raggedy tennis shoes, and his hair looks like it hasn't been brushed in a week. Massu, though his hair is combed, doesn't look much better--Just _what_ does he think he's wearing, and in what universe do those pants and that shirt go together?

Really, with Tegoshi hanging around that sort of company 24/7, there is absolutely _no_ hope for him, because he obviously doesn't _want_ to learn how to dress.

"I refuse," Ryo says blankly.

"Refuse what?" Shige says, walking up next to Koyama.

Ryo glares.

 Shige cowers.

Koyama doesn't notice, and replies with, "He's not refusing anything. Ryo is going to be a good senpai and go shopping with Tegoshi."

"I am not--"

Somehow, Tegoshi has managed to appear within the circle, and surprises Ryo, first by appearing out of thin air, and secondly by clutching his arm and saying excitedly, "WHAT? Really?! A whole day shopping with Ryo-senpai?"

Massu is standing behind Tegoshi with gyoza in his mouth. "Dat's bery nice ob him," he mumbles.

Tegoshi smiles broadly. (He needs to get his teeth fixed, Ryo thinks irritably.) "I always knew that Ryo-san was a nice person! Didn't I tell you, Massu?"

Massu looks skeptical.

Ryo sneers, and Massu takes a step back. Good, his powers of intimidation are still in tact.

He sneers at Tegoshi next. He waits for Tegoshi to slink away, entirely too smug at the thought.

Instead, Tegoshi hugs him tightly, and says, "Thank you _so_ much! We're going to have fun, I promise!" He grabs Massu's hand and drags him out of the practice room. Probably to go to karaoke, as that's all Tegoshi ever talks about doing. Does the kid seriously have no friends at school?

The thought that he really might not makes Ryo remember when he first came to Tokyo, so he decides not to think about it.

 

Ryo arrives at the meeting place thirty minutes early, because he still isn't used to how long it takes to get anywhere in Tokyo, and he was afraid he'd get lost. (He _did_ get lost, but only for ten minutes instead of the usual thirty. Uchi is the only one who knows about his lack of directional skills.)

Tegoshi, however, arrives twenty minutes early, in a (surprisingly matching) track suit and baseball cap. He spots Ryo instantly. Which is horrifically unfortunate, in Ryo's opinion. He's been hoping to keep this meeting as short as possible.

"Wow, I really didn't expect Ryo-tan to get here so early," Tegoshi babbles excitedly. "I always end up being ten minutes earlier than everyone else. My mom doesn't like the thought of being late. She says it's terribly rude."

"Your mother makes a valid point," he huffs, trying to sound as unfriendly as possible.  
 It doesn't work. Tegoshi smiles, and says, "I thought so too. She's really brilliant."

Great. The kid has a mother-complex in addition to being the most awkward person on the planet. (A voice in the back of his head insists that he's only using this as an excuse to hate Tegoshi--after all, he likes Uchi well enough and Uchi has a mother-complex. Ryo insists that that's _different_ and banishes the voice from his mind.)

"Well, where do you want to go first?" Ryo asks.

"I don't know. My mom normally shops for me."

Ryo bites his lip in an attempt not to scream.

 

"Where the hell is Ryo?" Yoko demands, finally saying what has been on everyone else's minds.

Kanjani8 had saved their money to visit Uchi and Ryo in Tokyo, only to find that only Uchi was actually at the apartment. Yoko had waited as long as he could--twenty minutes--but it was impossible to deny it any longer. They had come for the two of them, and Ryo had blown them off.

"Well, he's shopping with Tegoshi. You know, that really awkward kid," Uchi says, shrugging.

Maru tries not to look upset as he asks, "Why would he make plans with some kid he doesn't even like, when we took two days out of our schedule just to see you guys? The first time we've seen each other in _months_."

Uchi grins. "I thought it'd be more fun to observe Ryo trying to interact with him, so I neglected to mention you guys were coming."

The rest of Kanjani8 just stare. Yoko snorts. Uchi smiles wider. "I do so hope you don't mind," he continues, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

Hina laughs. "This should be hilarious."

(They easily dismiss Ohkura's halfhearted protests. It's not like anyone ever listens to him anyways.)

Ryo can feel someone watching them. At first he'd thought it was the typical fangirl, watching them from behind a pole or shop front, but he hasn't spotted a single one whose gaze is as unnerving as the one he can't seem to shake.

That someone is _following_ them.

He doesn't mention this to Tegoshi, because he has a feeling that Tegoshi's initial reaction will either be A) to freak out and exclaim loudly, probably leading to him falling over and knocking over the displays on the road; B) do something stupid like obviously looking for their stalker, leading to the stalker knowing _they know_ and then attacking them in broad daylight or something. So he keeps his mouth shut, and surreptitiously tries to lead Tegoshi into a small, family owned clothing store without being noticed.

He thinks it works.

 

"Did you see the way he put his arm around Tegoshi's waist and escorted him into that store?" Yasu exclaims.

"It was like he was trying to molest him or something," Yoko replies.

Maru nods vigorously. "Yeah, he's like, gripping his waist. Really tightly."

"Who would have thought Ryo-chan's secretly a dirty old man?" Subaru adds solemnly. "We're going to have to warn any Juniors that come into contact with him."

 

In between the next two stores Ryo and Tegoshi visit, all of Kanjani8 manage to acquire hats and large sunglasses. Convinced of the surety of their disguises, they follow the two into the next clothing shop.

"He's following him into the dressing room," Hina announces, horrified.

"What?" Yasu exclaims. "Seriously??"

Uchi looks up from the shirt he's been examining. His voice is deadly when he says, "Wait. Did I just hear what I think I heard?"

That's when they hear Tegoshi's voice squeaking, "Eeek! Ryo-tan, don't do that! That pinches! Ow!" and see a flurry of movement from behind the dressing room curtain.

The shop owner makes a shushing noise, and the commotion stops.

"HE'S MOLESTING TEGOSHI IN BROAD DAYLIGHT," Hina exclaims.

Ohkura, completely straight-faced, replies, "I don't think it's considered broad daylight if it's from the confines of a closed dressing room."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted [here](http://panpipe.livejournal.com/97856.html#cutid1).

Ryo leaves the dressing room, looking around the shop, suspicious. He could have sworn he'd heard Hina's voice, in the midst of Tegoshi's struggling.

(Sheesh, who would have known it'd be so hard to force the kid into tighter, snugger clothing? It's like, rule #1 in Johnny's to wear clothes like that. He knows Tegoshi hasn't been there long, but that's something you pick up on pretty fast.)

He continues looking around the store. He doesn't see anyone suspicious--Well, there is this old guy with a beard and huge sunglasses and a ridiculously large hat, but he figures it's just the neighborhood crazy person. And hey, that tight purple V-neck behind him might look good on Tegoshi.

 

They've spent two hours going through countless shops, and still haven't found enough new clothes to last Tegoshi a week.

The kid is ridiculously picky.

He almost thinks it's some sort of ploy to make Ryo go shopping with Tegoshi again, but the kid can't be _that_ conniving.

Anyway, it's been two hours and Ryo is getting _hungry_. He'd skipped breakfast and lunch from queasiness at the thought of the day ahead, but after experiencing the pain that was shopping with Tegoshi, he is ready for some pick-me-up food.

"Where do you want to eat?" he asks.

"HAMBURGERS," Tegoshi shouts excitedly.

Hamburgers aren't exactly his idea of fun--Seriously though, just what about this day has been his idea of fun?--but it's cheap and there's a burger place about a block away. "Alright," he grunts.

 

Kanjani8 have acquired newspapers, cut out eyeholes out of them, and are "stealthily" watching Ryo and Tegoshi from another table.

"He just refilled Tegoshi's water glass," Yasu says, eyes wide.

Uchi glares. "He'd just filled his own water glass; it's only natural for him to refill Tegoshi's as well."

"Is it natural for him to wipe the mustard from his lips, too?" Yasu smirks.

"WHAT," Uchi shrieks, nearly giving away their position. Everyone shushes him loudly.

 

"Tegoshi," Ryo sighs, "it's right there. No. On the right. No, lower. Oh fuck, now you're just embarrassing me. Here, let me do it."

Ryo glowers, and wipes the offending condiment from the boy's face. He leans back. "Good, now I don't have to be mortified at being seen with you anymore."

Tegoshi is blushing. "Um, thanks. For getting that for me."

Ryo shifts uncomfortably in his seat. It's like the kid has a _crush_ on him or something, and now that he thinks about things a bit more carefully, it's been like that all day. _Especially_ in the dressing room earlier. Ryo had just chalked it up to the kid being nervous about Ryo seeing him naked, but now he realizes that he saw Tegoshi naked throughout the entire time they were performing at the volleyball games and the kid hadn't been shy at all. If anything, he'd strutted around the dressing rooms.

And then the kid suddenly decides to be coy and shy today? He doesn't like where this is headed.

"Hey, uh, Tegoshi," Ryo says, unsure why he's so nervous about Tegoshi's answer. "I thought you liked Yamapi."

Tegoshi's face flushes to his ears. "I, uh. I mean well. Er." He hangs his head. "Was it that obvious?"

Ryo lets out a sigh of relief. He's just admitted to liking Yamapi, which means he just admitted to _not_ liking him. This is good. Very good. "Yeah, well, when you follow him around every day, and constantly talk about how Yamashita-senpai did such and such, and Yamashita-san did this and that, and isn't Yamashita-senpai sooooooo cool--" Tegoshi interrupts him, just as Ryo is getting really into making fun of the boy by adding in a girlish tone and puppy dog eyes.

"I wasn't that bad," Tegoshi huffs.

"You were," he smirks. Then he realizes that if Tegoshi _purposely_ put that phrase into past tense...

"Wait," he says. " _Were_?" He waits for clarification.

Tegoshi grins, and stuffs a fry in his mouth. It's almost as if he's _smug_. Where did he learn that from? "I like someone else now."

Please say it's not Ryo, please say it's not Ryo, please say it isn't him--

"I'm not telling you who it is, though."

Ryo's not sure whether to be happy about this or not. It's possible it's not him. Maybe he's just being self-absorbed. But at the same time, the timing of this and Tegoshi's behavior today...

"I've decided to try something different with this crush, though. I'm _definitely_ going to win him over this time. He'll be mine for sure."

Ryo figures there's nothing he can do about it, since he can't ask Tegoshi straight out who he likes (partially due to the fact he's afraid the answer will be "you") so instead he slumps in his chair and says, "Just don't mess up group dynamics if it's someone else in NEWS."

"Ryo-tan is such a good senpai," Tegoshi says, his smile slyer than Ryo's ever seen it. No, really, where did he learn this cocky behavior?

 

"It looks like they're having a serious conversation," Maru says solemnly.

"Yeah, it must be something important," Yoko agrees.

"Maybe they're gossiping about NEWS!" Yasu says excitedly.

Uchi glares.

Yasu frowns. "What? That's what I would be doing if I were them."

The rest of Kanjani8 glares. (Well, except for Ohkura. It's as if Ohkura knew about Yasu's gossiping inclination already.)

"Hey," Ohkura says, trying to distract everyone from attempting to find out what Yasu says about them. "They're throwing food at each other now."

"Cuuuuuuute," Yasu exclaims, returning to the scene at hand.

"THAT IS NOT CUTE AT ALL," Uchi screams. "RYO-CHAN DOES WAY MORE CUTE STUFF WITH _ME_."

Ryo and Tegoshi look directly at Kanjani8's table, seeing nothing but newspapers (with eye holes) and... Uchi standing at the table.

"Oops."

 

NEWS has a rehearsal that evening--actually, Ryo and Tegoshi had planned from the beginning to head back to the Jimusho after their meal was finished--so Kanjani8 walk the two of them back.

Yasu keeps pinching Tegoshi's cheeks and exclaiming about how cute he thinks he is. "I like making clothes, you know," he tells him excitedly. "I could mail you some of my latest for you to wear. Ryo-chan really likes them, so I bet he'd be okay with you wearing them."

Ryo grunts.

"It would save you from having to take Tegoshi-chan shopping again," Yasu says with a knowing smile.

Ryo suddenly grins sweetly. "Yes, I think it's a great idea, Yasu."

Yasu giggles, and continues telling Tegoshi what kinds of clothing will flatter his body type.

Maru nudges Ryo with his elbow. "So what exactly _were_ you doing in that dressing room?"

"Oh my god, you guys were there _too_?" Ryo says in disbelief.

"We've been following you all day," Ohkura replies.

Ryo glares. "You all suck."

"But you love us," Yoko declares.

Ryo can't argue.

"This is the first time I've really seen you together," Tegoshi says seriously. "You all get along very well. I'm impressed."

Hina looks at Tegoshi, almost pityingly. "Well, we've been together for a long time." He suddenly has the urge to ruffle the kid's hair, to comfort him somehow. "I'm sure you'll have that with NEWS eventually."

He doesn't believe that at all, because Kanjani8's relationship was formed from the hardships they all went through together, the friendship they've had since they were kids, but he feels like he has to reassure Tegoshi anyways.

"No," Tegoshi says, showing he's more perceptive than any of them could have guessed. "I don't think we'll ever be the same as you guys." Then he smiles, and Hina would later swear that he was pointedly staring at Uchi as he said the next line: "Don't worry, though. I'll take care of Ryo-tan and make sure he doesn't get too lonely with us in Tokyo."

Subaru, who has always been perceptive, notices the stare immediately. "Yes, I guess we can depend on you _and_ Uchi," he says with a forced smile.

Tegoshi smiles easily back, as if there's no tension in the air.

Uchi has to fight the urge to scream and beat the kid into a bloody pulp. The nerve!

Ryo doesn't notice the power struggle at all.

 

Weeks later, Tegoshi has taken to sitting on Ryo's lap during rehearsal breaks. "Ryo-taaan, let me have some of your smoothie," he says, pouting.

Ryo sighs, glaring. "Fine, just one sip, Tego-nyan."

 

Uchi feels like he is slowly going insane. That, or he's on an episode of The Twilight Zone.


End file.
